Froome has already learned to his chagrin in the 2013 Tour, following the exposing of Armstrong’s fraud, that seeing is not necessarily believing any more. He flew fantatstically up Mont Ventoux only to be met with as much cynicism as awe. It hurt him. “That was a really special day for me, so to basically have the media try to take that glory away with the same questions I had already kept answering for two weeks – ‘how can you prove you’re clean?’ – felt really insulting. I felt it disintegrated all my hard work.”
Froome’s heartfelt hopes for 2014 is that cycling’s doping tales take a back seat to pure sport but that could be wishful thinking. Our conversation occurred before news that Froome’s Sky team-mate Jonathan Tiernan-Locke faced disciplinary proceedings over an alleged anti-doping rule violation and that former colleague Mick Rogers had tested positive for clenbuterol.
“I genuinely believe people want to stop talking about doping now. They want to have someone to believe in,” says Froome. Like him perhaps? “Well, I definitely feel a responsibility to show people the sport has changed. I understand why there are still a lot of critics, cynicism and doubters out there. Of course, no-one can actually know 100 per cent if I’m clean or not, except me. And I know I am, that my results will stand the test of time.
“We can’t force people to believe, it’s going to take time. I know I have a big responsibility but it’s not hard to be clean and to be a champion. Doping has never ever crossed my mind. It’s not an option. I’d rather go and scrub factory floors for a living than cheat to get where I am.”
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